Her arms crossed her chest, an automatic gesture, and she hoped her cheeks weren’t as red as they felt. Her pajamas — an oversized T-shirt and matching shorts — were old and definitely wouldn’t set the world on fire, but still, she felt almost naked under his gaze. When a hint of a smile touched the corner of his mouth, she lifted her chin and shrugged.
“What’s wrong with Hello Kitty?”
“Nothing. It looks good on you.”
Tongue-tied by the abrupt turn in the conversation, Faith called Taco and stepped back.
“How’s the bike working out?”
Surprised by the question, she hesitated. Candy had let her borrow an old ten-speed from the shed, and she’d been using it to get back and forth to work — though, the first night on her way back from The Dock, the back tire had gone flat. The next morning, she’d found it with a new oiled chain, and the tire had been fixed. She studied Gus closely.
“You fixed the tire.”
He gave a nod but said nothing. Typical from what she could tell.
“Thank you.”
Faith took another step back, and Taco ran ahead of her, happily wagging his tail at the door.
“You still liking it at The Dock?” he asked again.
“Hal and Samantha make it easy.”
“They’re good people.”
“You’re working at the Boone place, aren’t you?”
“I am.”
“I hear it’s beautiful.”
“It is the best spot on the lake.”
“I met Ford and his young son last night. They came in for dinner. He seems nice.” There’d been something about the man that had stayed with Faith. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but he’d definitely made an impression. He was handsome, very handsome, if she were being honest, but it was something else. Maybe the way he carried himself. Maybe a kind of sadness she recognized.
“You staying a while or just passing through?” Gus asked.
“What?” Confused by the abrupt change in conversation, she picked at the edge of her nightshirt.
“Fire Lake. You sticking around?”
She didn’t like talking about herself or her plans. Or anything, actually. And that was something she had in common with Gus. Heck, she didn’t even know his last name.
“You going to answer?” he prodded.
“Are you?” she shot back, a little surprised at herself. “Staying? I know you’re not a townie.”
What was this back and forth? His eyes widened a bit, and he gave a shrug, a small smile on his face. “For now, it’s home.”
She held his gaze a heartbeat longer. “Same.” Then gave a small wave. Faith had never been good at small talk, and this man made her nervous with his questions and those eyes. “Have a good weekend.”
She pushed at the door and disappeared into the common area at the back of the house, ending their conversation in a way that wasn’t exactly rude, but it wasn’t exactly friendly either. Faith practically ran down the hallway and up the stairs until she reached her apartment. She’d left the door unlocked and quickly let herself inside. Her cheeks still burned, and she slowly turned when she heard movement in the hall. With an eye to the peephole, she turned and peered through it. Gus was at his apartment, a cell phone in hand. He scrolled through a few messages and swore, obviously not happy with what he’d read. He unlocked his door, then turned his head to the side as if listening for something. Heart pounding, she pulled back, feeling as if he could see her through the three-inch-thick oak.
Taco whined, and she jumped, giving the dog some serious side-eye before stepping away. She felt silly and busied herself filling the dog’s food and water dishes before heading down the small hall that led to her bedroom. She had the day off and some cash in her pocket. Restless, she hopped in the shower and decided it was time to explore this place she’d been calling home.
An hour later she let herself out of her apartment, eyes on the door directly across from hers. Was he still inside?
Feeling more than a little foolish, she locked up and, with Taco on a leash, took the stairs and walked out into the sunshine. It was still early, mid-morning, but already hot. Faith pulled on a pair of dark sunglasses and headed down the tree-lined street that would eventually lead to Main and then the town square.
